User blog:Deathwatch2018/Best melee weapon ?
Picking the best melee weapon for one’s Deathwatch Marine is the hardest selection to make. It varies considerably based upon the Chapter of the Marine and also on his Accuracy and Crit stats. Other key considerations include the nature of the mission to be undertaken. Will there be lots of weaker Tyranids swarming where it is better to spend 2 APs across two separate attacks against different targets, or is it better to spend those same 2 APs on a single attack against a powerful Tyranid foe where the EV of the damage caused is greater than the sum of the two separate attacks? Finally, the tactics and biases of the player are also a key factor in selecting a melee weapon. Is it better to trade off some damage EV for an increase in Max Health? A chance at free movement? The ability to parry some attacks to avoid damage? Here is the table summarizing the EV of the damage caused by the best melee weapons: Note that all weapons have the “Retaliation” ability allowing the Marine to counterattack (50% of the time) when attacked with a melee weapon. Only the Chainsword and Powersword weapons have the “Parry” ability, allowing the Marine to block some of the the damage (80%) caused by a successful melee some of the time (20%). Now let’s look at the “best melee weapon” based on Chapter. Blood Angel The choice for the Blood Angels is the most complex. For relatively inexperienced Blood Angels, the Artificer Omnissian Axe is the best choice if one wants to maximize the EV of damage caused for each AP spent. That said, if you expect most of your melee attacks to be counterattacks during the Tyranid turn, then the Xenos Crusher Powerfist is also attractive since it delivers the most damage 'per attack '(but not per AP spent). For more veteran Blood Angels that have significantly higher Accuracy and Crit values, the Axe is a less compelling choice. At these higher levels the Tempests’ Teeth and Emperor’s Maw Chainswords are better choices. Both outperform the damage EV of the AO Axe. The selection comes down to a choice between more damage with the Tempests’ Teeth (due to its 50% damage bonus when the enemy target is below 50% Max Health) or more opportunity for APs with the Emperor’s Maw (due to its 25% chance to return 1 AP for each kill). My own preference is for the former. The Xenos Crusher Powerfist is also a good choice since its 2 AP attack generates more EV of damage than two 1 AP attacks by the Tempests’ Teeth. This is true even with the Tempests’ Teeth damage bonus. And it is even more true with the “Retribution” damage bonus of the Xenos Crusher. The main scenario where I would choose the Tempests’ Teeth over the Xenos Crusher is where I have a Blood Angel with 5 AP to use each turn, and where I am tending to melee weaker Tyranid foes. In this case I might be able to use my 5 AP to attack up to five different targets v. only two targets otherwise. Lastly, the Glaive Encarmine is one of the worst choices of the higher tiered weapons. It is like a lower performing, bonus-free version of the Blade of Judgement. I would only pick the Blade of Judgement in a scenario where I expected to melee infrequently, but be targeted with ranged weapons frequently, and the BoJ’s “Dodge” ability would be the key attribute of the melee weapon. Space Wolves My favorite Space Wolf melee weapon is the Fenrisian Frost Axe . It delivers the best EV for damage per AP of any weapon, except for the Xenos Crusher wielded by a Deathwatch Marine with a very high Crit stat. The Frost Axe has the added benefit of granting the holder an extra 30% Max Health. Wield the Frost Axe. You won’t be disappointed. Ultramarines The Axe of Calth is my go-to weapon for the Ultramarines. It outperforms all other weapons, although the Tempests’ Teeth delivers a higher damage EV when the opponent is below 50% Max Health. Just like the Space Wolves and their Frost Axe, the Ultramarines also have the option of using the Xenos Crusher instead of their Chapter-specific Axe. The Xenos Crusher delivers the very best value in terms of damage EV for those Marines with a very high Crit stat. But until you have one of those, stick to the Axe of Calth. Category:Blog posts